The Bible, the
Qur'an and Africa
Here are a collection of quotes in regards
to the teachings of slavery in the Bible compared to those in
the Qur'an.
"If a man strikes his male or female slave
with a rod and he dies at his hand, he shall be punished. If,
however, he survives a day or two, no vengeance shall be taken;
for he is his property." [Exodus 21:20-21]
"... then you shall take an awl and pierce
it through his ear into the door, and he shall be your servant
forever. Also you shall do likewise to your maidservant."
[Deuteronomy 15:17]
"As for your male and female slaves whom
you may have - you may acquire male and female slaves from the
pagan nations that are around you they also may become your
possession. You may even bequeath them as a possession; you can
use them as permanent slaves. But in respect to your countrymen,
the sons of Israel, you shall not rule with severity over one
another." [Leviticus 25:44-46]
Even Jesus in the Bible was asked to visit
a slave, in response, Jesus did not free the slave and instead
called the slave OWNER the most Faithful in Israel;
"I tell you, not even in Israel have I
found such faith." [Luke 7:9]
In Islam, an enslaver is a Unrighteous
person, but Jesus in the Bible calls them the Most Faithful.
"Slaves, be obedient to those who are your
masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the
sincerity of your heart. [Ephesians 6:5]
"All who are under the yoke as slaves are
to regard their own masters as worthy of all honor so that the
name of God and our doctrine will not be spoken against." [1 Timothy 6:1]
"Slaves, in all things obey those who are
your masters on earth, not with external service, as those who
merely please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the
Lord." [Colossians 3:22]
"Urge bondslaves to be subject to their
own masters in everything, to be well-pleasing, not
argumentative." [Titus 2:9]
Here is what some Christians in history
have said about Slavery;
"The right of holding slaves is clearly
established in the Holy Scriptures, both by precept and
example." [Rev. R. Furman, D.D., Baptist, of South Carolina]
"There is not one verse in the Bible
inhibiting slavery, but many regulating it. It is not then, we
conclude, immoral." [Rev. Alexander Campbell]
"The extracts from Holy Writ unequivocally
assert the right of property in slaves." [Rev. E.D. Simms,
professor, Randolph-Macon College]
"I draw my warrant from the Scriptures of
the Old and New Testaments to hold the slave in bondage." [Rev.
Thomas Witherspoon, Presbyterian, of Alabama]
"In another area of human rights, many
Christian clergymen advocated slavery. Historian Larry Hise
notes in his book 'Pro-Slavery' that ministers 'wrote almost
half of all defenses of slavery published in America.' He lists
275 men of the cloth who used the Bible to prove that white
people were entitled to own black people as work animals."
[James A. Haught, 'Holy Horrors']
"The delegates of the annual conference
are decidedly opposed to modern abolitionism, and wholly
disclaim any right, wish, or intention to interfere in the civil
and political relation between master and slave in the
slave-holding states of the union." [Methodist Episcopal Church,
Statement of the General Conference, Cincinnati, May 1836]
"Montgomery, Alabama. A white Republican
state senator running for Congress wrote a speech in which he
argued that slavery is justified by the Bible and was good for
African Americans. ...'People who are bitter and hateful about
slavery are obviously bitter and hateful against God and his
word, because they reject what God says and embrace what mere
humans say concerning slavery,' Charles Davidson wrote." [San
Francisco Chronicle, 10 May 1996 (Associated Press)]
"My correspondent thinks with Mr.
Jefferson, that Jehovah has no attributes that will harmonize
with slavery; and that all men are born free and equal. Now, I
say let him throw away his Bible as Mr. Jefferson did his and
then they will be fit companions. But never disgrace the Bible
by making Mr. Jefferson its expounder, nor Mr. Jefferson by
deriving his sentiments from it. Mr. Jefferson did not bow to
the authority of the Bible, and on this subject I do not bow to
him." [Rev. Thornton Stringfellow, D.D., in "Scriptural View of
Slavery," a work showing that the Bible sanctions slavery, from
John E. Remsburg, "Six Historic Americans. Chapter 2: Thomas
Jefferson"]
- And now i would like to close with a
quote from Mr. Douglass:
"I prayed (to Jesus) for twenty years but
received no answer until I prayed with my legs." [Frederick
Douglass, escaped slave]
What the Western history books try to hide
is that the Mass Slave Trade between Africa to America was
initially promoted by the church and through out it's endurance,
was maintained mainly by Christians.
On the other hand, when the Christians
were raping Africa to export humans to serve them, they stayed
away from the North East section of Africa because of it's
majority Muslim population.
Muslims who follow the Final Testament
(The Holy Qur'an) looked negatively upon slavery as they have
been taught to by Prophet Muhammad and the Holy Qur'an:
The Qur'an often promotes Freeing slaves,
the Goal of a Muslim is to be Righteous, examples of
Righteousness deeds in the Qur'an are taught to Free Slaves,
feed orphans, and be kind. The Verses in the Qur'an prompting
the freedom of Slaves are here:
"It is not righteousness that ye turn your
faces to the East and the West; but righteous is he who
believeth in Allah and the Last Day and the angels and the
Scripture and the prophets; and giveth wealth, for love of Him,
to kinsfolk and to orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and to
those who ask, and to -set slaves free-; and observeth proper
worship and payeth the poor-due. And those who keep their treaty
when they make one, and the patient in tribulation and adversity
and time of stress. Such are they who are sincere. Such are the
Allah-fearing." {Holy Qur'an Translation 2:177}
Also in the following Verses ( 90:13,
58:3, 4:92)
Furthermore, the first convert to Islam
was a slave named Zayd ibn Harithah whom Prophet Muhammad freed.
We as Muslims are to follow the Example of
Prophet Muhammad, in Hadeeths (sayings of Prophet Muhammad) we
are also frequently often told to free slaves as recorded in the
following sources:
Complete Sahih Bukhari
001.003.124 002.025.579 002.025.580
002.025.587 003.034.365 003.034.430 003.043.648 003.046.698
003.046.701 003.046.704 003.046.709 003.046.729 003.046.737
003.047.752 004.053.372 005.059.399 005.059.676 006.060.025
006.060.249 007.062.151 007.063.210 007.065.341 008.080.743
008.080.746 008.082.841
Partial Sahih Muslim
004.1812 005.2181 009.3901 014.4078
014.4081
Partial Sunan Abu Dawud
002.0591 012.2207 012.2208 012.2258
019.2946 029.3942 029.3953 039.4564 041.5059 041.5121 041.5148
Complete Malik's Muwatta
018.18.9.29 018.18.16.42 020.20.72.243
020.20.75.250 021.21.9.17 022.22.7.12 027.27.14.16 029.29.6.19a
029.29.7.22 029.29.8.24 029.29.9.26 029.29.9.27 029.29.9.29
029.29.12.35 029.29.13.36 029.29.17.47 029.29.17.50
029.29.18.51a 029.29.23.69 029.29.31.94 031.31.3.3 031.31.4.4
036.36.4.7 036.36.16.14 036.36.21.23 037.37.3.4 037.37.8.7
038.38.1.1 038.38.2.2 038.38.6.8 038.38.6.9 038.38.6.10
038.38.6.11 038.38.7.12 038.38.8.13 038.38.9.15 038.38.10.20
038.38.11.21 039.39.1.3 039.39.2.4 039.39.3.5 039.39.4.6
039.39.5.7 039.39.9.11 039.39.10.12 039.39.11.14 039.39.12.15
040.40.1.1 040.40.2.2 040.40.3.3 040.40.5.6 040.40.6.7
043.43.7.6 043.43.20.15 043.43.21.15a 043.43.24.15d.
In conclusion, when we compare
Christianity's history with centuries of Massive slave trading,
in comparison to Islam's massive freeing of slaves, we clearly
see the True Message of humanly Love is preached in Islam. Of
course as in all groups, there are small individual cases of
Christians who freed slaves and there are a small group of
so-called Muslims who kept slaves, but when we see the overall
picture, we plainly see that Christianity was the grand slave
master.
Lastly, there have been many books such as
"Islam in the African American Experience" by Turner, Richard
Brent which shows proof that some of the Africans kidnapped and
bought to America were in fact Muslim, many of who were killed
or beaten into accepting Christianity.
In conclusion, we must know our past so
that we can protect our future.
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